Took MCAT twice, same score, what to do?

[steelman]

Just got my MCAT score: took it the first time (studied consistently for 3 months and took a MCAT Prep course) got a 22N (PS9/BS8/VR5)
Took it the second time (after re-taking MCAT prep course and studied consistently for two-three months) and got a 22M (PS7/BS9/VR6).
Scored higher on practice exams: 27 (PS10/BS10/VR7).
I felt much better and more prepared the second time I took it, but the scores are pretty much the same.

Current GPA: 3.46 sGPA ~3.33
Major: Theology/Pre-Med, Minor: Studio Art
I am enrolled in a top-tier school and currently volunteering at a hospital for seven months so far and volunteered a hospital three years ago for a month (in both cases I had direct patient interactions and assisted nurses/physicians). Worked in a lab for a year, frequently volunteered on my free time at a school for children with disabilities. OChem tutor for a year and tutored highschool and elementary school stdts for a year. Recieved second honors and dean's lists twice, with a few other leadership pos'ns and awards.

My suggestion: Don't take again, but apply with really strong recommendations/extracurriculars.
I was considering a postbacc program to take more science courses, but I've heard stories of people who've applied with low MCAT scores, yet entered pretty good med school programs.

But I was wondering if there were any suggestions/advice...

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[faith2]

I would personally would not apply, but you should. Remember most schools take the highest from each section and give a total. Your score would be a 24. I have friends that got in with a 24 and even 23 because everything else was on fire.

Just got my MCAT score: took it the first time (studied consistently for 3 months and took a MCAT Prep course) got a 22N (PS9/BS8/VR5)
Took it the second time (after re-taking MCAT prep course and studied consistently for two-three months) and got a 22M (PS7/BS9/VR6).
Scored higher on practice exams: 27 (PS10/BS10/VR7).
I felt much better and more prepared the second time I took it, but the scores are pretty much the same.

Current GPA: 3.46 sGPA ~3.33
Major: Theology/Pre-Med, Minor: Studio Art
I am enrolled in a top-tier school and currently volunteering at a hospital for seven months so far and volunteered a hospital three years ago for a month (in both cases I had direct patient interactions and assisted nurses/physicians). Worked in a lab for a year, frequently volunteered on my free time at a school for children with disabilities. OChem tutor for a year and tutored highschool and elementary school stdts for a year. Recieved second honors and dean's lists twice, with a few other leadership pos'ns and awards.

My suggestion: Don't take again, but apply with really strong recommendations/extracurriculars.
I was considering a postbacc program to take more science courses, but I've heard stories of people who've applied with low MCAT scores, yet entered pretty good med school programs.

But I was wondering if there were any suggestions/advice...

 

[lovemesomeTJ]

First, I would try taking the MCAT again, and get personalized one-on-one tutoring if possible. Were you consistently getting 27s? Or was 27 your highest score out of all the practice tests you took? You need to get the verbal score up if you do nothing else. Read, read, read!!!

If you don't want to do that, then apply, but make sure to include schools that offer a post-bac option in case they reject you from the MD applicant pool (OSU, Wake Forest, etc). I would also apply to schools in the AMSNY (Upstate, Downstate, Albert Einstein) because if they put you through an interview but reject/waitlist you later, they can nominate you for their post-bac option.

Make sure to APPLY EARLY EARLY EARLY!!! You want to create as many opportunities for yourself as possible, and raising your MCAT score is going to help you do that (some post-bacs and a lot of MD programs will weed a person out automatically if they have below a 7 or an 8 in a particular section). Plus, if you apply early enough, you may not even need the post-bac option. But I agree with faith2 that the rest of your application has to be phenomenal, from the PS to the letters to the activities.

Good luck!

 

[Brigade4Radiant]

Don't take a prep course go to the MCAT board and do that. If you are URM you might get into Meharry if you apply early and have excellent extra-curriculars. But the stats for Meharry have been going up I think it is a 3.5 and 26. What do you think about D.O schools and what is your state of residence?

 

[Black Surgeon]

I would personally would not apply, but you should. Remember most schools take the highest from each section and give a total. Your score would be a 24. I have friends that got in with a 24 and even 23 because everything else was on fire.

I beg to differ, this is definitely not the case at "most schools". In fact, I think it's the exact opposite (and thus, that this is the case at very few schools). The practice that I found to be most common upon doing research when I was applying last year was the taking of the most recent scores (by far) and the averaging of MCAT scores.

OP, your GPA is fine. If you' d gotten just 2 or 3 points higher on verbal, your MCAT score would've been fine too. However, any section below a 7 is a definite killer during the application process.

It sounds to me like you need to go read extensively, and do every single verbal practice passage you can get your hands on before you retake your exam (It worked for me). Plus, a couple more points on the sciences wouldn't hurt. Get to work!

 

[ucsfstudents]

Dear OP,

Sorry you are having such a difficult time with the MCAT. It is not an easy exam. Many students struggle with this exam, especially the verbal reasoning section.

Students who retake the MCAT often get a similar score or do worse. This is because they don't fix their "problem areas" before retaking it. Because you have taken it twice already, I would not retake it unless you are scoring above 30s on your practice exams consistently. It is not surprising that you get a 22 on the actual exam with a 27 on practice exam. Expect to score at least 5 points lower on the actual exam. This will save you a lot of headache and surprise.

Also, some students tend to overestimate their knowledge base. This would lead you to feel ready to take the exam when you are in fact not. These multiple choice questions test details, and unless you pay attention to those, you will not do well. They also expect you to approach problems systematically, and unless you've mastered this, you cannot do well. This is another reason why you should be doing well on your practice tests before taking the real exam.

If you can find someone who scored well on the MCAT to mentor you and guide you through solving the problems, that might help. Do not listen to people who say you don't have to study for it, or it's easy, or you just have to....etc. You need someone who can pinpoint your problem areas and give you detailed and constructive ways of improving in those areas.


I would not recommend applying this cycle. Too many schools screen out low verbal scores, leaving you with a lot of money and time down the drain if you did apply. If you really wanted to, you could apply, but you would have to apply broadly.

The reason why doing well on the MCAT is so important to medical schools is that they want their students to pass (and do well) on the USMLE medical school board exam. Both the MCAT and the USMLE require good test taking skills and a substantial amount of knowledge. Many schools will not consider you if they feel you will not do well on these tests.

This of course means that you will have to figure out what you are doing wrong in terms of how you are approaching the problems, your study skills, time management, anxiety, etc. and improve upon those so that you are in top shape the next time you take the exam.

I cannot give more specific advice because I do not know what the actual problem is, per se, but I wish you the best of luck. The MCAT is just a hurdle you will have to get over. It has no bearing on how wonderful a doctor you can be.

If you are on this forum, I assume you are URM. We need more URMs in medicine, so please don't give up! and surround yourself with supportive people!

Good luck!!

 

[mybubbles14]

I think that you need to do a lot of self reflection and figure out what is holding your verbal score back and work on that ASAP. I found EK verbal 101 (I swear they should pay me as much as I advertise for them) to be the most helpful in getting my score to be more consistent. On my practice exams I was averaging 9-12 but I didn't give the verbal much thought or effort. My problem was timing and staying focused. I took the exam and my timing was waaay off...I had 2 passages left w/ 5 minutes and got a 5 I worked on my timing and tried out different methods to help me get quicker which ultimately entailed abandoning everything they taught me in my kaplan course. I went through at least half of the EK book along w/ all of the practice AAMCS (which are easier than EK) and got my timing under control and consistent. I managed to score an 11 the second time.

Like others have mentioned, I'm not surprised that you struggled with the verbal section given how you did on practice exams. A 7 is on the low end for sure, if I was you I would aim for a 10 to leave yourself some room for error. Expect to score a couple points lower on the real exam and be happy/thankful if you don't. I know that the PS was my best section and I scored very well on all of my practice exams. I took the real exam, thought I beasted it and although I did decent I scored 2-3 points lower than my average. ::very disappointing::

Anyways...I don't think applying next cycle is out of the question if you are able to retake and significantly improve your MCAT. Yes people get in with low scores but by and large this is an exception. Schools might send you a secondaries but at quite a few places that's only false hope and you'll just get screened out. Why leave it up to chance if you still have the opportunity to improve? If you have the time study now and try to be ready to take the exam some time this summer. Don't rush into taking the exam either. If you're not scoring in the range that you desire then keep working on it until you are.

Good luck with everything!

 

[steelman]

Thanks everyone for the replies thus far. I have sought advice from friends and pre-med advisers as well and at the moment I am even rethinking whether medical school is actually for me (as I have other talents/interests in arts, film/media, and theology, although I was hoping to integrate that into my medical profession with an emphasis on children's health/awareness...that's still pending).
I have several options and I will definitely research DO schools and consider applying broadly to some midwest/southern schools including Wake Forest and ECU.
Nonetheless, I need to refer to my school's pre-med recommendation committee to assure that they'll write me a strong recommendation letter considering my MCAT scores.
Thanks again and I'll keep you updated. Any advice is welcome.

 

[steelman]

Don't take a prep course go to the MCAT board and do that. If you are URM you might get into Meharry if you apply early and have excellent extra-curriculars. But the stats for Meharry have been going up I think it is a 3.5 and 26. What do you think about D.O schools and what is your state of residence?

I've looked at a couple of DO schools, and have asked some experienced medical staff at the hospital I volunteer at. I was told there really isn't a difference except, more people apply to medical school which makes it more competitive than those that apply to DO schools, so its easier to get into DOs. Is this true? By the way, I'm a NJ resident.

 

[njbmd]

I've looked at a couple of DO schools, and have asked some experienced medical staff at the hospital I volunteer at. I was told there really isn't a difference except, more people apply to medical school which makes it more competitive than those that apply to DO schools, so its easier to get into DOs. Is this true? By the way, I'm a NJ resident.

Dude/Dudette, DO schools are osteopathic "medical" schools. Please don't perpetuate ignorance about this subject. You are going to encounter many competitive applicants applying to osteopathic medical schools same as with allopathic medical schools. It's going to be an uphill battle with those low MCAT scores. Medicine is competitve period.

 

[mybubbles14]

Thanks everyone for the replies thus far. I have sought advice from friends and pre-med advisers as well and at the moment I am even rethinking whether medical school is actually for me (as I have other talents/interests in arts, film/media, and theology, although I was hoping to integrate that into my medical profession with an emphasis on children's health/awareness...that's still pending).
I have several options and I will definitely research DO schools and consider applying broadly to some midwest/southern schools including Wake Forest and ECU.
Nonetheless, I need to refer to my school's pre-med recommendation committee to assure that they'll write me a strong recommendation letter considering my MCAT scores.
Thanks again and I'll keep you updated. Any advice is welcome.

Are you a NC resident?

You'll need to apply much more broadly than that and like njbmd said you still have a lot of research left to do on the subject.

 

[medschl hpeful]

Just got my MCAT score: took it the first time (studied consistently for 3 months and took a MCAT Prep course) got a 22N (PS9/BS8/VR5)
Took it the second time (after re-taking MCAT prep course and studied consistently for two-three months) and got a 22M (PS7/BS9/VR6).
Scored higher on practice exams: 27 (PS10/BS10/VR7).
I felt much better and more prepared the second time I took it, but the scores are pretty much the same.

Current GPA: 3.46 sGPA ~3.33
Major: Theology/Pre-Med, Minor: Studio Art
I am enrolled in a top-tier school and currently volunteering at a hospital for seven months so far and volunteered a hospital three years ago for a month (in both cases I had direct patient interactions and assisted nurses/physicians). Worked in a lab for a year, frequently volunteered on my free time at a school for children with disabilities. OChem tutor for a year and tutored highschool and elementary school stdts for a year. Recieved second honors and dean's lists twice, with a few other leadership pos'ns and awards.

My suggestion: Don't take again, but apply with really strong recommendations/extracurriculars.
I was considering a postbacc program to take more science courses, but I've heard stories of people who've applied with low MCAT scores, yet entered pretty good med school programs.

But I was wondering if there were any suggestions/advice...

I am so sorry to hear your frustration is the same as mine. I am a non-traditional underrepresented applicant. I have taken the exam three times. 1st was a ps6vr7bs8, 2nd ps6vr7bs6 (WTF??) lastly ps5vr7bs9. I don't know where the disconnect is from the actual exam and my practice exams. Practice is usually 26-30. I have taken all 10 of the amcas on line ones. I got an interview at a D.O. school last turn, wait listed, and was told to just get that mcat up 1-2 pnts. I have tried.... obviously twice, with no luck. This last exam I thought I kicked butt. Imagine my horror, when I pulled up that score. I could have literally threw up. I am at a lost. I am contemplating re-taking on the 27th of this month, and if I get a good score, I could apply early. I would love any advice.
I wish you luck. I wish I could just give up, but with this kind of journey, its not that simple.

 

[mybubbles14]

I am so sorry to hear your frustration is the same as mine. I am a non-traditional underrepresented applicant. I have taken the exam three times. 1st was a ps6vr7bs8, 2nd ps6vr7bs6 (WTF??) lastly ps5vr7bs9. I don't know where the disconnect is from the actual exam and my practice exams. Practice is usually 26-30. I have taken all 10 of the amcas on line ones. I got an interview at a D.O. school last turn, wait listed, and was told to just get that mcat up 1-2 pnts. I have tried.... obviously twice, with no luck. This last exam I thought I kicked butt. Imagine my horror, when I pulled up that score. I could have literally threw up. I am at a lost. I am contemplating re-taking on the 27th of this month, and if I get a good score, I could apply early. I would love any advice.
I wish you luck. I wish I could just give up, but with this kind of journey, its not that simple.

you need to do some major self reflection and figure out asap what is holding your score back. do you go over each of the answers on the practice exams? Do you look at the score report and concentrate on strengthening your weak content areas such as acid/base chemistry or atomic properties etc.? Is it timing? I'm sorry you're struggling so much on the real exam. You need to figure out what it is and work on it...not just continue to take practice exams and hope that you improve.

While I did go through the content initially, once I started taking the practice exams I didn't do this. The second time around I went over every single question religiously and made sure I understood why each answer was right or wrong. For the verbal section this was really important. I even made explanations for the wrong choices on questions that I got right. After awhile you start to recognize the "attractive" answers or different ways they try to trick you into the picking the wrong answer and your scores will likely become much more consistent.

I never took their full length but for a nice set of verbal passages I suggest EK 101 verbal passages. I also liked their other books well enough. However their bio section doesn't include sections on evolution if I recall. Did you use online practice materials?

 

[medschl hpeful]

you need to do some major self reflection and figure out asap what is holding your score back. do you go over each of the answers on the practice exams? Do you look at the score report and concentrate on strengthening your weak content areas such as acid/base chemistry or atomic properties etc.? Is it timing? I'm sorry you're struggling so much on the real exam. You need to figure out what it is and work on it...not just continue to take practice exams and hope that you improve.

While I did go through the content initially, once I started taking the practice exams I didn't do this. The second time around I went over every single question religiously and made sure I understood why each answer was right or wrong. For the verbal section this was really important. I even made explanations for the wrong choices on questions that I got right. After awhile you start to recognize the "attractive" answers or different ways they try to trick you into the picking the wrong answer and your scores will likely become much more consistent.

I never took their full length but for a nice set of verbal passages I suggest EK 101 verbal passages. I also liked their other books well enough. However their bio section doesn't include sections on evolution if I recall. Did you use online practice materials?

I have studied intently. I can be very honest and say that physics will always hold back my physical science section. I actually spent a huge amount of time on physics this last time. My practice scores went up significantly. I was shocked when I got my results. I know this may not be the correct thing to say, but I will take your suggestions for verbal and try to get the points there. Continue with bio, try to turn a 9 into at least a 10. Put more time into gen. chem. I know that if I don't come away with at least a 25 min., then I am simply done. I will have a hard time getting in as it is, since this will be my fourth exam.
I truly do not just keep taking the exam. I truly do feel prepared. My timing is good. I always have enough time for each section. My practice exams. All 10 were at min. of a 26-31. I just have to hone in on what I am better at, and get that verbal score up at least 3 points. This last exam felt sooo good. I was absolutely SHOCKED when I got my score.
Again, thanks so very much for the advice. I will use it and let you know how it is going.

 

[FriendlyFace]

statistically speaking, you should be able to guess your way to a higher score than 22. i know i did.

 

[jasin]

This is just general study advice. Nonetheless, I do suggest using study material from multiple source. I would not use just only mcat flash cards or some book on the mcat. Try using them all and whatever else you can find.

Try researching things more in depth when you are studying too. Like, for example, genetics. Don't just study genetics in general or very broadly, but also study specifically things like reproduction, regulation, recombination, etc.. you get the idea.

 

[jasin]

I've looked at a couple of DO schools, and have asked some experienced medical staff at the hospital I volunteer at. I was told there really isn't a difference except, more people apply to medical school which makes it more competitive than those that apply to DO schools, so its easier to get into DOs. Is this true? By the way, I'm a NJ resident.

Yes, that is true. Allopathic schools are very competitive because more apply to them.

That's partly because of the whole Md thing. Some think you are only a doctor if you got that Md after your name. I even know a few doctors who state that, that you are not a medical doctor if you do not have that Md.

There is also the fact that a lot of ostepathic schools are still new and not as well known. We have a new one here in my home state that's not even 10 years old. When like usnews and others do their whole ratings of universities, medical schools, etc.. too, they typically leave out of their ratings osteopathic medical schools.